libertarian

Former U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, a leading 2018 candidate for Governor of Colorado, elaborated on his vision for limited government and stronger border controls in an exclusive interview with The Liberty Conservative. Tancredo previously ran for Governor in 2010 as the Constitution Party candidate, coming in second place, with 36.4% of the vote. Now, he has rejoined the Republican Party, which he sees as essential in order to avoid the restrictions that have been set up by the major parties against third parties. “I’d make it as easy as possible for third parties to run – I have nothing against…
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President Donald Trump’s libertarian-leaning nominee to chair the Export-Import Bank, former Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), has been rejected by the Republican-controlled Senate Banking Committee. As a member of the House of Representatives, Garrett was a close associate of former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), and a member of the Freedom Caucus and the Liberty Caucus. He voted against the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, delivering a scathing critique of the institution on the House floor, and condemning it as a “corruption of the free enterprise system”. His staunch opposition to corporate welfare led to conflict with special interests who benefit substantially…
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The editing staff of The Liberty Conservative is proud to announce our endorsement of Steve Lonegan for Congress in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District. Formerly serving as the Mayor of Bogota from 1996-2007, Lonegan is an experienced fiscal conservative with the record to back up his rhetoric. He worked as New Jersey State Director and Senior Policy Analyst of Americans for Prosperity for several years before working for the American Principles Project as Director of Monetary Policy. One of his primary issues is opposition to an unaccountable Federal Reserve. “Today Fed policy is eating away at the value of our…
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Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), a stalwart of last year’s failed ‘Never Trump’ movement, issued a vocal disavowal of President Trump on the Senate floor on Tuesday, before announcing his decision not to run for re-election. While vocal Trump critics Sens. Bob Corker (R-TN) and John McCain (R-AZ) showered Flake with praise and applause, and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) burst into tears, Paul was the only Senator among the 7 Republicans and 8 Democrats present on the Senate floor at the time to refuse to give Flake a standing ovation.
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Libertarian Republican Erik Prince is strongly considering a run against incumbent Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), according a report by the New York Times. Barrasso is a fairly average Republican Senator, voting consistently with his party leadership, and is said to be close to Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Barrasso currently serves as the Chair of the Senate Environment Committee. Prince has reportedly travelled to Wyoming with his family in order to seek residency there. Prince had previously resided in the state during the 1990s and early 2000s, according to public records.
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U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) called for keeping of the government out of the bedrooms of consenting adults in an interview with CNN on Wednesday. Following recent controversy surrounding an explicit video being ‘liked’ by Cruz’s official Twitter account, CNN’s Dana Bash asked the Senator whether he thought that it was ironic, given that he had defended a ban on the sale of sex toys in Texas as the state’s Solicitor General. Cruz responded by downplaying it, accusing the mainstream media of running stories that are “totally false”. He went on to explain that he was merely doing his job…
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Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) has announced his endorsement of Judge Roy Moore for United States Senate in Alabama in a statement released by the Moore campaign. “Roy Moore has more political spine than anyone I know,” Massie said. “He has twice chosen to lose his job than compromise his principles. He is a man willing to stand up to the out of control courts and help us return to the limited government outlined in our Constitution.” “I give him my full support and look forward to having him as a stalwart colleague in the Senate,” Massie continued.
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The day before “Unite the Right” was set to commence, spirits were at an all-time high. The torch demonstration was a shocking and unexpected success. What looked to be in excess of 500 people gathered and marched through the University of Virginia campus. They even cornered ANTIFA, who in their complete bewilderment even held a large sign upside down in a hilarious display. Going into the rally, the organizers seemed confident that it would be a tremendous success. Those hopes were dashed almost instantaneously. Before the rally began, it was clear that the cops–presumably at the behest of the leftist…
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You can’t reason with a postmodernist who believes logic doesn’t exist. You can try outwitting them in a war of words and hope a rational audience will be swayed by your superior intellect, or you can ignore them and appeal to the good nature of your fellow man by improving your own life in the hopes that others will emulate your example. You can be a better person tomorrow than you were today, and improve the world by bettering yourself through your deeds. The recent shooting of House Majority Whip Steven Scalise proves how desperately this change is needed. What…
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OMB Director Mick Mulvaney strongly stressed his libertarian leanings in a recent interview with the Washington Examiner. According to the Examiner’s Alex Pappas, Mulvaney ‘said he considers himself in the libertarian wing of the party’. Mulvaney then went on to say, “I’ve always come from the sort of the school of thought that I don’t care what you do in the privacy of your own home.” Mulvaney also mentioned that his staff had been working closely with Senior Advisor to the President, Stephen Miller, to turn the Trump campaign’s “policies into numbers”. Miller is widely seen as a close ally of White…
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Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) appeared to back the Trump infrastructure plan, including the proposal to privatize air traffic control, during a Tuesday interview on Fox Business. Asked whether he believed the the air traffic control privatization proposal could work, Massie replied: “I think it’s completely possible, they’ve done it in other countries, they’ve got better air traffic control than we do, it’s certainly more modern in Canada and Australia where they’ve done this.” The proposal has garnered plaudits from fiscal conservatives, receiving quick support from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Massie went on to mention his own bipartisan legislation to allow airports…
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A recent interview by the New York Times suggests Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney are divided on the issue of whether the administration should push for a ‘clean’ debt ceiling increase or attach preconditions to it. Mulvaney told the Times that, “Steven is on record in his hearings last week that his preference is to see the debt ceiling raise clean…I think I’ve made it clear that my preference would be to add some spending reforms to it.” Asked what types of reforms he would seek to add, Mulvaney mentioned “changing the Budget Act of 1974” and pushing…
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Maxime Bernier, Quebec MP and former Foreign Minister, narrowly lost his bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada on Saturday to Saskatchewan MP and former House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer by just 49% to Scheer’s 51%. Scheer is a close ally of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was criticized by libertarians during his tenure for his support for Keynesian-style stimulus spending. The relatively bland and generic Scheer is generally associated with the party establishment, while Bernier was seen as an outsider candidate. Bernier was believed to be the frontrunner in this race after the impromptu withdrawal of fellow outsider…
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Somalia is not known for its natural beauty. Its landscape is rocky and dotted here and there with dusty shrubs and acacias poking through the sand. Less than two percent of the land is arable. It must be said that the ocean there is very beautiful and very blue, but turning away from the ocean to face the shore again brings back into view the rocky hillsides and the crumbling hovels that the Somalians call home. The political landscape of Somalia fares no better. It is a patchwork of warlords who have each parceled out a slice of mud to call…
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A leftist narrative gaining a lot of momentum in our current climate is “hate speech isn’t free speech!”, which, in essence, translates to “this speech, that you use, is not protected by the first amendment”. Seems a bit…convenient. Challenge this narrative, requesting a definition of “hate speech” and you will most likely find out that “hate speech” just means anything with which they disagree. This is why they don’t view your speech as permissible or even defensible under the law (the very law which they do not understand). Liberals also own this narrative so they no longer see it valuable…
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Despite recent reports that White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon had been sidelined within the administration, it appears he may be winning back the President’s favor. In an interview with Bloomberg, Trump defended Bannon, describing him as a “very decent guy who feels very strongly about the country” and had received a “bad rap” from the media. Trump also disputed the media’s portrayal of Bannon as an ‘alt-right’ figure, stating that he sees Bannon as “alt-left”, on the basis that “Bannon’s more of a libertarian than anything else.”
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Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) suggested to the Washington Examiner on Friday that he is pleased with Trump’s progress so far, echoing his previous remarks in an interview with Breitbart. Referring to his colleagues in the House of Representatives, he said, “I think [Trump] has probably exceeded their expectations, frankly.” Massie then repeated his prior praise of Trump’s action on the TPP, and accused his colleagues of not giving Trump enough credit for the move. “You don’t hear that mentioned much because probably a lot of Republicans weren’t with him on that, and none of the Democrats want to give him credit for it.”
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Australian libertarian politician David Leyonhjelm recently met with U.S. Senator Rand Paul and U.S. Representative Thomas Massie, two leading libertarian Republicans in Congress, during a trip to Washington. According to the The Australian, “the libertarian Republicans [Leyonhjelm] met believed Mr Trump was doing a good job so far, but still had a lot to prove.”
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Budget Director Mick Mulvaney is “on the rise” within the White House, according to a report by Politico on Tuesday. “When thinking about up and comers in the administration, think less about Gary Cohn, a New York City Democrat, and more about Mulvaney.” Recent reports that Gary Cohn, the former President of Goldman Sachs, was gaining clout in the White House, concerned many conservatives. Cohn, who is close to Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, has had a tenuous relationship with former Breitbart chairman Steve Bannon, who is rumored to have been sidelined in recent weeks. Cohn is widely regarded as a centrist establishment figure,…
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Recently, I was privy to an exchange on social media that highlighted the intellectual and moral arrogance observed in many libertarians. Certain members of the Liberty Movement seem to be so sure of their superiority that they miss the authoritarian allure of a Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders. Turning a blind eye (or turning up our noses) at those we disagree with will not help advance the ideas about individual rights, the rule of law, benefits of markets, or any of the other foundations upon which so many of us base our worldviews if not our careers. Rather than dismiss…
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The immigration debate is one of contention, hurt feelings, and misinformation. Groups defending different approaches often use faulty knowledge and divisive rhetoric, all while ignoring important points being made by both sides. As a result, truth and basic moral principles are ignored — by everyone. Especially those who mean well. As explained by Mises Institute’s president Jeff Deist, national borders mark “the edge of a particular territory over which a political entity — a state — claims exclusive jurisdiction.” By definition, anything under the control of the state requires a border — physical or otherwise. Much like the market, where…
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As we draw closer to the inauguration of our 45th president we also draw closer to the long overdue repeal of the ironically titled Affordable Care Act. Informally known as Obamacare, this abomination, much like its namesake, never should have become a reality. It’s fitting that as Obama leaves office congress will almost simultaneously rid our nation of this cancerous boil once and for all. It must, of course, be done with a replacement immediately on its heels – the last thing the Republican dominated congress should do is leave the American people hanging. If they do it right, the…
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Among the many time-honored structures left in ruins by the 2016 presidential process, perhaps nothing has suffered more than our comfortable set of political labels. Terms like “conservative”, “progressive”, “liberal”, “libertarian”, and even “classic liberal” (courtesy, Speaker Paul Ryan) have been growing dull for years, but this year seems to have become so useless that warring activists under each label were forced to drop their weapons, crawl out of their respective trenches, scratch their heads, and try to figure out which side they really belonged on. Who can blame them? Every election has its share of word-bending, but 2016 dropkicked…
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A confidential source on the Trump transition team has told The Liberty Conservative that Rep. Thomas Massie, an award-winning, MIT-educated engineer, elected to Congress in 2012, is under consideration for the job of Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, a role commonly known as Science Advisor to the President. Massie currently serves as Chairman for the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation in the House of Representatives. Massie’s office did not respond to our requests for comment.
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Donald Trump has appointed Don McGahn, a former member of the Federal Election Commission and the Trump campaign’s counsel, as the White House Counsel. The White House Counsel advises the President on all legal issues surrounding the administration.
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Kingdom of Kent, Saxon England, 932 – Newly anointed King Arthur tours his realm seeking knights for the round table at Camelot. He bore with him the decree of none other than God Himself, ordained by Heaven to rule the Angles and Saxons. Alas, for yon head-choppy days of yore were dark times for God’s anointed to the Throne of England. For there were those who questioned the legitimacy of his claim to the Crown. Stopping to confer with two lowly peasants in a marsh in the wilderness west of Canterbury, he demanded fealty. The peasant demanded by what right…
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We are only a few weeks away from the election. Although everyone and their mother say (as always) that this is the most important election of our lifetime, I’m not all that concerned about the outcome. Although Trump would likely be much less horrific President than Hillary, federal-level politics are screwed regardless of the outcome of this preposterous little popularity contest. All I care about is the show, and that the spectacle from the circus is causing serious damage to the political system at large. During this particular cycle, I have not been disappointed. “The Donald” has kicked the madness…
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A Review of the Libertarian Case for the Trump Process” Ann Coulter just released her book on Donald Trump. I haven’t yet read it, and though Coulter has been outstanding in what she’s been saying for the last year or so on such issues as immigration, Trump, and the treacherousness of the GOP, the truth of the matter is that for decades, Coulter has been a GOP-booster. Recall, it was during just the last presidential election cycle that Coulter not only supported, but enthusiastically supported, Mitt Romney: Coulter actually wrote an article in which she called for “three cheers for…
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On June 6th, 1944, thousands of Allied soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy and began what we know as the liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe. One the eve of D-Day, as those soldiers, sailors, and airmen prepared to take part in the largest amphibious invasion in military history – an operation that would see thousands of them give the last full measure of devotion on the beaches of Normandy – they read the following words from the Supreme Allied Commander, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower: “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The…
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Hooray!!! The semester is over. But deep down, you know you miss the intellectual political conversations with friends from campus and are yearning to still be politically engaged. Here are three ways to hone in your political philosophy and become a conservatarian superstar while away from your college on summer vacation. 1. Don’t allow that free time to go to waste, educate yourself! The summer is prime time to get up to date on all political happenings. While relaxing and working on your tan by the pool, bring a copy of The Libertarian Reader with you or read the trending news stories of the day…
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On the night of the first ever nationally televised Libertarian Party presidential debate, myself and a small group of fellow writers, editors, and activists were invited by Libertarian Party candidate Austin Petersen to an after party of sorts in downtown New York City. It was history in the making – for the first time, national news had covered a debate between candidates seeking a nomination for this party, which was not one of the two viable political parties in the Republicans and Democrats (though if the state of those factions as of 2016 counts as “viable” today, I’m not sure…
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Iowa was the final act for a number of presidential candidates, including liberty candidate Sen. Rand Paul – but the reason Paul dropped might come as a shock to many. Though the Rand campaign made many overtures to his father’s base in the final months, Rand Paul did not carry the Iowa libertarian vote. Among the chief victims of the dramatic Ted Cruz win Monday night was the “libertarians won’t vote for Cruz” narrative pedaled for the last year by the Rand Paul campaign. The caucus results have been sliced and diced a hundred ways, and with Sen. Rand Paul’s…
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A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article for Liberty Conservatives Magazine predicting that the Rand Paul campaign would not see success in terms of voter numbers, but instead would leave a legacy with much larger implications than a short term presidential bid would normally have. I argued that Rand’s maverick approach to not only 2016, but his entire career as a politician thus far would go on to influence politics in a positive, long-term way, and that his supporters (a camp I find myself weaving in and out of depending on the issue at hand) should celebrate that…
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I haven’t written much about Rand Paul in a while – not because I don’t like the guy, but because I feel like his most loyal endorsers are often the better sort to be writing about his current campaign. After all, those who love you most are the best voices to have in your corner when you’re trying to become the next leader of the free world. But now that Rand’s campaign looks to be coming to a forced, rousing, and highly resisted end sooner than later (though I would be happy to be wrong on that prediction), I feel…
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By any sensible, historical definition, I am a libertarian. I also find myself more often than not feeling the need to apologize for other libertarians’ behavior in the social sphere. And some of the most fiery debates I have these days are with fellow self-proclaimed liberty lovers who would rather tell me how wrong I am about monetarist economics, how fascist I am for having gone to a publicly recognizable school, how I’m a leftist because I’m pro-choice, and how, because of all of these disputes and more, I couldn’t possibly be a “real” libertarian. Both of these realities are…
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Rand Paul is without doubt my first choice for the presidency. As the most libertarian member of the United States Senate, and the son of Ron Paul, Rand is strongly deserving of our support and I wholeheartedly endorse him for President of the United States. However, should he be unsuccessful in his presidential campaign and choose to leave the race at any time in the next few months, we should keep our options open, for there is clearly another candidate in the race with strong liberty credentials. 1. Ted Cruz is one of the most fiscally conservative members of the…
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“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” – St. Augustine Dear Social Conservatives, I hesitate to address you by that name in a political sense, because being socially conservative isn’t really a theory of government, it’s a theory of culture. One could be socially conservative in a totally stateless environment. That’s why there’s been a high degree of overlap between your endeavors of late and those of the Liberty Movement, and that’s why many of us can comfortably identify ourselves as socially conservative libertarians. Now of course the Liberty Movement is incredibly diverse, and has shown an…
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The Liberty Conservative is an online political magazine devoted to the vision of less government and more liberty in achieving true prosperity for all. We intend to accomplish this by informing and educating our readers on our core principles of free markets, limited government, traditional values, and personal freedom.

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